Version four of the same bathroom
The first quote had a standard bath and a basic shower. The customer then wanted a walk-in shower instead of the bath. Then a wall-hung toilet. Then larger tiles. Each change meant your estimator redoing the quote: new products, extra labour for the frame, a different tray, more tiling time. By version four, a week has passed and the customer is comparing you with a bathroom showroom that gave them a price in the shop.
The estimator has spent more time on this one bathroom's paperwork than it would take to fit it, and the customer still has not said yes.
Why product changes are slow to price
A product change in a bathroom isn't just a price swap. A wall-hung toilet needs a frame and boxing. A walk-in shower may need a different waste route. Larger tiles change tiling time. The estimator knows these links, but they're not written down, so every change is a manual rethink.
| Customer changes | Also changes |
|---|---|
| Bath to walk-in shower | Tray, waste, screen, tiling area |
| Close-coupled to wall-hung toilet | Frame, boxing, labour |
| Standard to large format tiles | Tiling labour, adhesive |
| Basin to vanity unit | Waste position, fitting time |
Customers also browse widely. They see a basin online, a shower in a showroom and tiles on social media, and ask you to price them all. Each item might need checking for fit, and each affects the labour. Without a structured way to handle choices, the estimator becomes a personal shopper.
What slow requotes cost
Estimator time goes on the same bathroom several times. Customers lose momentum or go to someone quicker. Quotes rushed to keep up miss linked items, which you then absorb on the job. And customers can't explore options themselves, so every idea becomes a phone call.
Mistakes are expensive. A requote that forgets the extra tiling for a walk-in shower, or the frame for a wall-hung toilet, turns into a cost you carry on the job, or an awkward extra charge the customer did not expect.
There is also a cost in customer confidence. When each revision arrives with a different layout or wording, customers start to wonder what else has changed, and ask for comparisons that take even more time.
The options quote we build
- Product library: the products you typically fit, with your prices and suppliers, grouped by type.
- Linked items: each product carries the labour and extra items it needs, such as a frame for a wall-hung toilet, set up with your estimator.
- Base quote: the estimator builds the base quote from the survey, with options the customer can choose between.
- Customer choices: the customer sees options online, with photos, and picks. The price updates using your rules.
- Estimator approval: changes that affect plumbing layout or anything unusual are flagged, and the estimator approves the final version before it's binding.
- Order list: the accepted quote produces a product order list for your suppliers.
We build the product library from your past quotes and supplier price lists, and your estimator sets up the linked items for the products you fit most often first.
Customers choose, estimators check
Customers can explore options without waiting for you. Linked items are never forgotten. Your estimator reviews final choices rather than rewriting quotes. And the accepted quote flows straight into ordering.
It also helps with ordering. Because the accepted quote lists exact products with codes, the order goes to your supplier without anyone re-reading the quote, and deliveries can be tracked against the job plan.
Showroom-style customers, who like to see options side by side, get a far better experience, and you get the job without competing on a single headline price.
Recognise this?
- Bathroom quotes go through several versions.
- Each product change means a manual requote.
- Linked items like frames or trays get missed.
- Customers go quiet while waiting for revised prices.
- Product orders are typed from the quote by hand.